All is Fair in Love & War
by antapologyyy
Summary: Set in the aftermath of the war, this story explores the inevitable change amongst those involved in the Battle of Hogwarts. For Hermione, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about friendship, love and loss. For Draco, he discovers that he is only made up of every choice he has ever made, which creates an uncertainty in his arrogant façade.
1. After the War

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – After the War**

 _Hermione's POV._

Hermione woke up to a soft snoring and a red head of hair sharing her pillow. Her initial thought was that her best friend, Ginny Weasley, did not usually snore. They had spent countless summers sharing the youngest Weasley's bedroom and the only time Hermione had remembered Ginny snoring had been the summer she was sick with the flu, and as a result, had not been able to breathe through her nose. As well as the snoring, she had never shared a bed with Hermione when they bunked together at the Burrow. Ginny had always slept in her own bed, with Hermione sleeping on the trundle on the floor.

Confused, Hermione sat up and peeked over, realizing it was in fact Ronald Weasley lying beside her. Ron's left arm and leg were hanging awkwardly over the side of Ginny's single bed, and his mouth hung open with a little drool dribbling out.

This finally jogged Hermione's memory, and she recounted what had happened last night. She and Ginny had been lying in their respective beds, chatting, when Ron had softly knocked on the door and let himself in. He had told Ginny, with a disapproving grunt, that Harry had wanted to speak to her about something upstairs then muttered something about "my little sister" under his breath. He then had asked Hermione if he could speak to her about something important.

 _The kiss._ Yes, they had shared a kiss during the war 3 months ago. For Hermione, it had felt like their friendship had been on a knife's point for years, and at some stage, a decision regarding the path of their relationship would eventually have to be made. However, she felt that the decision had been forced too early, with the fear of death hanging over them, when they finally had shared a kiss before they faced Voldemort.

But after the years of flirting, the fighting and the jealousy she had endured when Ron had dated Lavender Brown, Hermione had surprisingly found the kiss awkward, and ultimately, anticlimactic. She hadn't spoken to anyone about the fact, and this made her cringe, it had felt as though she were kissing a brother.

And now Ron had come to talk to her about it.

"I, err, wanted to talk to you about that night. You know? When we, err, when we kissed," he stumbled through awkwardly. Before this moment, Ron had made no romantic attempts with Hermione. In fact, he had hardly spoken to her all summer with all the tragedy that occurred during the war.

Hermione had blushed when he had brought this up. "Okay," she said slowly, "what was it you wanted to talk about?" She knew playing dumb wasn't going to get her far in this conversation.

"Well, I know Harry was going to speak to Ginny about where they stood now everything was safe." Aha, so this had been Harry's idea and Ron had decided to follow suite. "And I thought, you know, since we kissed, maybe we should do the same."

Hermione looked at Ron, and quickly assessed the situation as it was. He was putting himself out there, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings, or put more space in between what had already been a very distant summer between them.

"I think that maybe we should wait a little longer to talk about this. Things are different now, and harder, and perhaps this isn't the time for more massive change," she replied diplomatically.

A shock to Hermione, this seemed to appease Ron, and instead of saying anything, he nodded then lay down on Ginny's bed, holding his arms open for Hermione to join him. Not wanting to reject him twice in one night, she climbed up into his arms, closed her eyes and lay there thinking.

 _This is what friendship feels like_ , she thought to herself, right before she drifted off, subconsciously snaking her way out of Ron's sleeping arms.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Ginny was staring Hermione down from the moment Mrs. Weasley put eggs on her plate, until Hermione hurriedly got up at the end of the meal to place her used dish in the sink. From her observations, there was something different about Ginny and Harry. They seemed to be moving almost magnetically around each other, and they both grinned stupidly every time they caught each other's eyes. She and Ron on the other hand, were both acting as if nothing had been said last night at all. Hermione had snuck out of Ginny's room before Ron had woken up, and they hadn't spoken since.

Ginny looked as though she was just about to grab Hermione's arm when George came down the stairs, looking lost and sad.

There had been a lot of change since the end of the war, and the loss had seemingly placed a different toll on everyone in the Burrow. Harry, at first, had felt guilt for all the lives taken during the siege at Hogwarts. For weeks, he had refused to look anyone at the Burrow in the eye and often spent time alone in Ron's room. It wasn't until Mr. Weasley had slipped 3 pages of the Daily Prophet under the door for Harry to read, which contained hundreds of letters written by witches and wizards all over London thanking Harry and his friends for defending their loved ones, and ultimately making the world a safer place, that Harry began to slip back into his usual demeanor.

Ginny, who had always been tough, had done quite the opposite, and had put on a brave face for weeks before finally breaking down and admitting she was fearful nothing would ever be the same as it was before the war. One night, shortly after her upsetting outburst, Mrs. Weasley had snapped at Ginny to set the table before dinner – ' _you'd think I was the maid around here! You kids need to start pulling your weight around here, by Merlin'_ – and Ginny had smiled the first time since the end of the war.

Ron, who had been devastated by the loss of Fred, had withdrawn himself from the trio, and spent most of his free time flying on his broomstick around their home town, although no one really knew where he was going and when he'd be back. Hermione saw him sometimes talk shortly to Harry, but he had made no attempt to talk to her, apart from "can you pass the ketchup?" and "is the shower free?"

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had put on a brave face for the teens, but Hermione was sure there was more grief and mourning going on behind closed doors, especially from Mrs. Weasley. Although Hermione had not seen Mrs. Weasley cry for weeks, her eyes were so often red and puffy, she was sure Molly was putting on a very brave face for the sake of the household.

George, however, had been the worst, and the most heartbreaking. He had withdrawn himself completely from the family, never cracking jokes and walking around almost, Hermione had often thought, like a half man who had once been whole. He, like everyone else, had been trying to go about a normal day for the last month or so, in an effort to transition back into the routine of ordinary life. But he did so silently and sadly, and nothing the family did seemed to help bring him back to them.

George sat down at the kitchen table, and Harry and Ron immediately tried to include him in a Quidditch conversation in the hopes of eliciting a response from him. Ginny took this as a cue to drag Hermione off for a secret chat, and nudged her head towards the back door.

Resigning to Ginny, Hermione made her way out the back of the Burrow and walked to the very end of the garden path before spinning around to face her best friend.

"What? Spit it out already." Hermione knew she shouldn't be taking her frustration out on Ginny, but then again, she made it all too easy when Hermione wasn't used to the gossip and girl chats the way of the rest of the Gryffindor girls were.

"Well I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," Ginny joked, a small smirk on her freckled face. "Spill it. What happened with my brother last night?"

"He wanted to talk about when we kissed, I told him we should wait until everything blows over,"  
Hermione shrugged, "No big deal Gin."  
"Hermione, you know nothing is going to 'blow over' right? This is how things are now," she sounded sad, "I mean, sure, things won't always be so... fresh. But this is what it is."

Hermione sighed, then looked at her best friend. She wasn't sure if she could tell her that kissing Ron hadn't felt right. Hermione was sure that everyone from Ron's parents to Harry and Ginny were banking on them eventually becoming a couple – it almost felt like a betrothal. But she had to get it off her chest, the guilt had been eating her since last night.  
"I have to tell you something Gin," she bit her lip, then went on. "Please don't hate me. I know he's your family but I'd also like to think I'm your family and this is killing me." Ginny waited patiently in silence, so Hermione just continued.

"I can't date Ron. Yes, I love him. But I also love you and I love Harry. I'm not _in love_ with Ron and I can't force it and I didn't feel sparks when we kissed Gin. And I want to feel fireworks and I want to feel blown away. It just didn't feel right. It felt like... well… friendship," she admitted.

For a second, Ginny looked confused, then her face transitioned to an emotion Hermione couldn't quite identify. _Oh god_ , she thought anxiously, _she's angry at me_.

"So… You pretty much felt how I'd feel kissing Neville Longbottom?" A grin appeared on Ginny's face as she cracked the joke, but the undertone of understanding in her voice relaxed Hermione at once.

Hermione laughed at the joke, and she knew she wouldn't have to explain herself anymore to Ginny. This was one of Hermione's favorite things about her best friend – she was very intuitive, and she often just 'got' things without much explanation.

Hermione then sobered and looked at her friend. "How on earth do I tell him?"

"Be honest. Tell him you'll always love him and be his best friend, but the fireworks just weren't there."

"Hmm. Maybe," Hermione replied, looking at her friend with doubt.

"Speaking of fireworks. Oh my gosh Hermione! Harry and I are _finally_ back together!"

And from there, Ginny gushed in great detail about all the moments from the night before, exactly what Harry had said, and described the kiss they shared in such detail that Hermione felt herself blush. She nodded and 'ooh'd' and 'ah'd' at all the appropriate times, and asked all the right questions, that Ginny did not even notice that her captive audience was actually a million miles away, thinking about the best way to break Ronald Weasley's heart.

* * *

 _Authors note: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please please review and let me know what you think, how you're finding the characters, how I can improve etc. I have the next chapter (Draco's POV) ready to go ... but I'd love some feedback before I post it :)_


	2. Traitor

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Traitor**

 _Draco's POV._

Draco could now count his close friends on one hand, but that didn't mean he was so hard up for friends he'd keep putting up with Pansy Parkinson. Sure, she was hot, if you were into that kind of thing (and Draco was into a lot of things) but she was also obsessive and annoying. Draco couldn't believe he thought having Pansy around at the Manor for a night – and it was meant to be just _one_ night – was ever a good idea. And now he couldn't get rid of her.

"What did you want to do today Draco, baby?" Pansy was curled up next to him in bed, his black silk sheets wrapped around her naked body like an evening dress. Draco lay on his back with his eyes closed, arms behind his head, trying to tune her out.

 _If I just ignore her,_ he thought lazily, _maybe she'll just go away._

"Draco! Why are you ignoring me?" _No such luck._

"Parkinson, please. You're giving me a bloody headache. I'm hanging out with Blaise today so take yourself home."

He looked over to see her giving him a death stare, before she jumped up angrily out of his bed and stormed around the room trying to collect all her clothes.

"I'm meant to be your _girlfriend_ , Draco! You treat me like shit. Don't even think about owling me again for some meaningless one-night hook up." She had located all her clothes and was quickly dressing, her face becoming angrier by the second. "And don't you dare think about coming crawling back to me when your bed is empty at Hogwarts because you and your family are fucking traitors!" She screamed the last bit before storming out with her shirt still half unbuttoned.

Draco had to admit the last bit had stung a little, but he wasn't worried at all. He had been the Slytherin Prince, and even now if all the Slytherin girls despised him, he could play up the fact he had changed sides to get girls from the other houses in bed. Besides, Pansy had never been able to resist an apology from him, especially when it came with a 24 carat gift.

Putting the fight with Pansy out of his head, Draco got up out of bed and decided to owl Blaise, telling him to meet him over the other side of town to go flying. He had made an effort this summer to avoid his best friend but Draco decided his lie to get rid of Pansy might actually have some merit. And although he was anxious about what Blaise would say to him, he decided that anything, anything at all, was better than being stuck alone in this god forsaken house.

* * *

"Draco, it's good to see you mate. One would think you were almost trying to avoid me," Blaise added sarcastically. It was a few hours after Pansy had stormed out of the Draco's room, and Draco and Blaise were meeting at the edge of the town in which Draco lived, broomsticks in hand.

Draco went to apologize, then remembered that Malfoys never said sorry for anything. "If you want to know what being avoided feels like, you should become a Malfoy. Or better yet, me. Mother hasn't left her room and Lucius will probably never leave Azkaban." He made a face at Blaise as he said this.

"Surely it isn't that bad? Who have you been hanging out with all summer?"

Draco did not want to tell Blaise he had been spending much of the summer reading in his bedroom, or, when he couldn't bear to sit around with his thoughts any longer, going for long runs around town, pushing himself until there was a searing hot pain in his lungs and his legs felt like jelly. He also did not feel like sharing with Blaise that he had spent some nights at a muggle bar in town, drinking what muggles called 'bourbon' and going back to women's houses to sleep with them. He had decided that muggle women were the perfect distraction – it just happened to be extremely convenient that none of them knew he was a traitor. Draco figured if he drank and slept around enough, he might forget exactly who he was. And perhaps then everyone else would too.

"I've been hanging with Pansy a little, but we broke up again this morning. She's crazy, man." At this, Blaise laughed out loud then smirked, "She'll be back when you snap your fingers mate."

"I don't think I want her back. I think I'll keep my options open at school this year." _If I have any._

"So you're planning on going back then? To school I mean," Blaise asked. Draco immediately felt himself become defensive, but when he looked at Blaise's face he realized it had just been a question, and there was no negative intent behind it. Draco had always thought that Blaise was too nice to be a Slytherin.

He felt mildly glad he had become better friends with Blaise in the last couple of years. They had grown up together as children, even ridden brooms together for the first time at the age of 4, but when they had got to Hogwarts, Draco noticed that Blaise had kept his distance from him. It took him awhile to realize that Blaise had many of the Slytherin qualities, but he wasn't exactly sold on the "ideals" they had all been taught as children – namely, that mudbloods were filth that didn't deserve their magic. He almost (secretly) admired Blaise for making his own mind up about things, but it made him openly different from the rest of his house, and Draco found he just couldn't support him if it was going to affect his own position in the Slytherin hierarchy. Therefore, he and Blaise had quickly drifted apart once at school, and Draco had found company in Crabbe and Goyle. But it was always company, and not friendship.

It was only at the end of their fourth year, when there were rumors of the Dark Lord's return, that Draco and Blaise had found themselves gravitated back toward each other. Draco found that Blaise ended up being the one person he could tell when he was really fucking scared about becoming a Death Eater, or who would just sit quietly with him after some argument with Lucius. He felt comfortable with Blaise, but he still felt he needed to put up the front he had always been taught as a Malfoy – whether Blaise bought it was another story.

"Well, yeah I guess I'll go back. Beats hanging around at home being avoided," Draco said sarcastically. _I just want things to go back to normal,_ he then added soberly in his head.

Blaise looked at him as though he knew exactly what Draco was thinking, and then sighed, "Nothing will ever be normal again."

And at that, they both silently mounted their brooms and kicked off hard, trying to leave a world of troubles behind them.

* * *

Draco arrived back at the manor, and realized he felt better about returning to school since his afternoon with Blaise. Blaise had said "I'll save you a seat on the train, mate" as they parted ways, and although he couldn't be sure, Draco thought that perhaps this was Blaise's way of putting him at ease and letting him know he'd have at least one friend at Hogwarts this year.

Walking into the main foyer, Draco checked the foyer table for the day's mail. He shuffled through various letters addressed to his mother (he assumed these were more letters which read of fake condolences but had an ulterior meaning behind them – he snorted when he thought of all the polite ways people could insinuate the fact traitors would pay) before finding a letter from Hogwarts addressed to himself.

This is exactly what he had been dreading all summer. A letter from McGonagall banning him from returning to school. He had been checking daily, awaiting the damn letter, and the closer the date got to returning to school, the more complacent he had become. But it was here now. _Fuck._

He briefly considered what he might do, had he not been allowed back at Hogwarts. There was nothing left for him at home, with his mother inconsolable and his father a prisoner. He could travel the world, something he had secretly wanted to do since the age of 8 when he studied geography during his home schooling – but he'd also always wanted to share it with someone. He briefly imagined travelling with Pansy – he was 98% sure he could talk her into leaving school and running off with him – but that idea lost all appeal when he pictured her shallow comments and disinterest in anything that had nothing to do with her directly.

Resigned, he ripped open the letter to read his fate:

 _Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

 _I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Boy for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year._

 _As you may well be aware, this role includes overseeing Prefects and instructing them of their duties throughout the school year. You will also generally oversee the student body and support & facilitate school unity at all times. You will report to the Headmistress monthly to discuss school matters and report any incidences. _

_As a reward for your new status, you and the new Head Girl will share the Head's Tower, which includes a private bedroom and a shared bathroom and common room. You will still have access to your house's common room if you wish._

 _Please remember that the title of Head boy and the authority associated is a privilege, not a right. If there is any indication that your position within the school is being abused, I will have to review your new status._

 _Again, my congratulations, and all the best for the year to come._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Headmistress,_

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Draco stared at the letter in disbelief. He knew that Dumbledore had been a mad old man, he'd grown up with his father disagreeing with every decision he'd ever made and calling him a 'crackpot' among other harsher insults, but Draco had always thought of McGonagall as sensible.

He'd always guessed that Potter, or his sidekick Weasel, would be named Head Boy in their last year. He had known that none of the Golden Trio had returned to school last year, like himself and much of their year level, but he'd never wondered if they would return to school after the war for their last year.

Draco had no idea how he had gone from being kicked out of school (well that's what he had anticipated anyway) to now being Head Boy. Surely, he thought sarcastically, the criteria for being chosen for Head boy wasn't a) almost kill the headmaster and b) have a Dark Mark. Saint Potter had literally saved the freakin' wizarding world, didn't he deserve the stupid badge more than him?

Even though he wasn't sure if he deserved it, he decided he wasn't going to decline the offer. Having his own dormitory meant he wouldn't have to spend too much time with his house, and the idea of having a safe space from Pansy was also tempting. Yes, he'd wear the badge and carry out the duties he was responsible for. He'd prove to everyone who would say he didn't deserve it that he did. Maybe he would even prove it to himself.

The weight in Draco's chest that he seemed to have been carrying around for the last 3 months appeared to have lessened as he put the letter back down on the foyer table. It was only as he ascended the stairs to his room, carrying the Head boy badge tightly in his fist, that he briefly wondered who the Head girl might be.

* * *

 _Author's note - So that's Draco's chapter! I know he doesn't have 100% of his usual sass at the moment, but I figured he would be a bit confused after the war and be having a bit of an identity crisis! Sass will come I promise. Please please review - it's motivation to continue to write , and let's me know what I should change :)_


	3. Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Home Sweet Home**

 _Hermione's POV._

It had started as a discussion about returning to school. _Let's write out the pros and the cons of returning to Hogwarts, and weigh up our options,_ Hermione had diplomatically decided. It had ended up, however, a debate between Hermione and Ron, with Hermione on the affirmative team, Ron on the negative team, and Harry doing his best to referee the two of them as it became more heated.

"Why on earth would we return to school when we've already been offered jobs Hermione? The reason people go to school is to get a job, and we've bloody skipped that step, haven't we?" Ron argued. It was the most they had spoken in the day and a half following their bedtime discussion. Kingsley Shacklebolt had individually owled each of them with a position offer a month prior. Ron and Harry had been offered Auror positions and Hermione had been offered a slightly different role under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Although she was completely ecstatic – she had squealed so loud the whole Weasley family had run into the room to check she wasn't being attacked by Death Eaters – that she already had a job offer, she didn't want to settle so quickly. Hermione Granger needed options and time to make important decisions. It all felt a bit too rushed for her liking.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and sighed. "Ronald. This is my education and my career and my life for crying out loud! I don't want to "bloody" skip a step. I want to do it right. We took the year off last year because it was important for us to help Harry, but now the threat is over." She looked at them both and smiled sadly, "I just feel as though I've got unfinished business there." _Plus I have an unreturned library book,_ she cringed internally.

Hermione noticed Harry had been strangely quiet over the last few minutes and looked at him. "Harry? What do you think?"

He hesitated slightly before speaking. "I think... it doesn't have to be a team decision. I think we all decide what we want to do separately, and go from there. Hermione, you're right. The threat is over, Voldemort is gone. Which means we are all free to makes choices, a freedom we didn't have last year. So maybe this time we each put ourselves first, make our own decision and then support each other as best we can."

Hermione nodded solemnly at this, but Ron just snorted and shook his head. "So, we're all going back to Hogwarts then."

"Ronald, did you just listen to anything Harry said?" Hermione sighed.

"Yes, of course I did." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "But let's face it. Hermione you're going back, you were never not going back. And Harry will go back because you and Ginny are. And if my two best friends and my sister are going back to school, I'm not bloody well going to sit around this place by myself. Plus, can you imagine how disappointed mum will be if I'm the only one not to go back to school. She'll get me to de-gnome the garden or actually pull my weight around the house with chores until I decide finishing school is a better option. She'll be a bloody nightmare."

Hermione and Harry stared at Ron as he nodded decisively.

"So yes Hermione, I was listening. And we're going back to Hogwarts."

* * *

It was time. Hermione had been nervously pacing outside Ron's bedroom for approximately 7 minutes, but she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. _So much for being a brave Gryffindor,_ she thought with a scowl. _Just do it._

She had spent the night before in bed, wide awake, picturing all the consequences for her decision regarding her and Ron's relationship. When her thoughts had eventually bought her to the ridiculous conclusion that she would end up an old spinster (who lived alone with Crookshanks) who was not invited to Harry and Ginny's first grandchild's wedding because she had been banished from the family at the age of 18 for breaking Ron's heart, she had decided she was overthinking the situation, and that she was really being too hard on herself. _Pretending I want to be with him would be more unkind_ she had thought.

Mustering up her courage, she knocked quickly on his door and waited for him to yell "come in" before hesitantly peeking her head through the doorway.

"Can I come in and chat?" Hermione asked quietly, slipping through the doorway when he nodded yes. She sat down on the bed next to Ron, but found herself looking at her hands in her lap.

"Hermione?" She could feel him staring at her intently, but she continued to stare down at her hands, and chewed on her bottom lip. She only looked up when she felt his finger on her chin, guiding her face up to his. His eyes looked sad, like he knew exactly what was coming.

"Why do you think we are still in limbo, Ron? As in, our relationship. Since we kissed."

"Well you did ask me for some more time the other night and I didn't want to nag you..." He sounded as though he was trying hard to get the answer to her question right.

"No, I mean, why do you think neither of us has acted on anything in 3 months?"

"I, uh, I dunno really. I guess I just wasn't in a rush to work things out? But Harry kept talking about how he was dying to talk to Ginny and I suppose that made me think I should probably talk to you." Hermione saw a sudden realization in Ron's eyes, as though everything he had just said had summed up everything she was trying to say. "Oh", was all he said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Ron spoke up again. "Is it okay for us to think we don't belong together? I mean, my whole bloody family thinks we do, Harry thinks we do, Ginny's pretty much already planned our first double date at Madam Puddifoot's when we get back to school…" he trailed off, looking unsure what else to say.

"I think that this decision lies between us and us only. And if we are both on the same page, we've got it right. Don't you think?"

Ron smiled sadly at her, "Yeah I guess…" Hermione felt as though he wanted to say more, but was holding back. "Spit it out then", she encouraged with a small smile.

"I just … it still feels as though I've lost something."

Hermione nodded. Even though she had been sure it wasn't meant to be between her and Ron, she knew exactly what he meant. For her, she had now lost her safety net. It was always easy for her to picture a very vague future with Ron – it was always painted with loyalty, security, friendship. It was a future that had felt predictable and safe. It was only when Hermione had tried to picture the specifics of that particular future had she realized she simply couldn't because that wasn't what her future was supposed to look like.

"The possibility of us", she said quietly.

"What's that?" Ron asked, seemingly startled she had come out of her reverie to speak.

"That's what we've lost.

* * *

The next day, Hermione and Ginny were laying down in the Weasley's backyard, watching the boys fly around above them passing the Quaffle to each other. Hermione had just filled Ginny in on the events of the previous day, and the fact Ginny was now looking at her with sympathy was annoying her immensely. She knew exactly why Ginny was giving her this look, and it was because she was so loved up in her new relationship with Harry, she was pitying Hermione who was now back to square one.

"Geez Gin, you don't have to look at me like I'm a lost cause." Hermione rolled her eyes then rolled back over onto her back to stare at the sky.

"Sorry, sorry", Ginny muttered then Hermione heard Ginny also rolling onto her back. "I know you're not a lost cause, don't be ridiculous. Everyone wants their best friend to find love and be happy and I just want that for you. 'Specially after everything we've been through."

It sort of irked Hermione sometimes that Ginny was such a romantic. For Ginny, Hermione knew, finding love and a soul mate and getting married and everything that went along with that was essential. But for Hermione, romantic love and happiness had never _had_ to be mutually exclusive. She knew she could find happiness in other things. She had always supposed that if she found love one day, that would be a sort of bonus happiness. She knew Ginny only had her best interests at heart, so she decided to forget her current annoyance with her friend.

"I'm only 18 years old Gin, we won't write me off just yet okay?" she joked, hoping to change the subject.

She felt Ginny sit up next to her on the grass, "Sooo...?"

"Sooo what?" Hermione mimicked.

"So, what boy could win the Gryffindor princess' heart this year? Did you see Seamus at the end of battle of Hogwarts, he was all sweaty and hot and looking -"

"It's lunchtime boys and girls! And your Hogwarts' letters have arrived!" Mrs. Weasley had stuck her head out the back door and interrupted Ginny. Hermione felt a rush of relief. She found herself getting up and walking inside before Ginny had stood up and the boys had even landed their brooms.

Hermione walked over to the pile of letters on the kitchen table and sorted through them until she found the one with her name on it. She noticed that hers felt thicker and heavier than the others.

She sat herself at the table and ripped open the envelope. She scanned the first piece of paper which read about the student's returning to school after the Battle and included a list of items she would require for the year if she chose to return. After a quick read of this letter, she popped it on the table and read the next one:

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Girl for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year._

 _As you may well be aware, this role includes overseeing Prefects and instructing them of their duties throughout the school year. You will also generally oversee the student body and support & facilitate school unity at all times. You will report to the Headmistress monthly to discuss school matters and report any incidences. _

_As a reward for your new status, you and the new Head Boy will share the Head's Tower, which includes a private bedroom and a shared bathroom and common room. You will still have access to your house's common room if you wish._

 _As always, I am certain you will uphold the values and beliefs of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and assist to restore the school to its former self._

 _Again, my congratulations, and all the best for the year to come._

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Headmistress,_

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

Hermione squealed excitedly as the boys and Ginny entered the kitchen from outside.

"I know you're excited to go back to Hogwarts Hermione, but it's still school" Ron quipped as he picked up his letter. Hermione smacked him on the arm with her letter.

"Actually, Ron, I've been made Head girl!"

"What?! Let's see!" He peeked over at Hermione's letter before turning over the single piece of parchment he had in his hand. "Shit, where's my Head boy letter? I was bloody Prefect in 5th year", Ron complained whilst turning his envelope upside down and dramatically pretending to empty it out on the table.

Ginny snorted, "Yeah alright Ron. Harry saved the whole wizarding community and killed the evilest wizard in history but McGonagall's gone and made _you_ head boy".

"Actually, I haven't got a Head Boy letter either" Harry remarked, with a slight frown on his face.

"Maybe it's Neville?" Ginny shrugged when everyone looked at her with disbelief, "I mean, he killed a snake guys…" she trailed off.

"Maybe its Malfoy", Harry joked and the rest of the group laughed.

"As if that ferret is even contemplating going back to school, let alone coming back with a badge that essentially makes him the boss of us all", Ginny replied, "McGonagall isn't as crazy as Dumbledore".

They all spent the next couple of minutes trying to work out who the new Head Boy might be, but they weren't even sure who was coming back to school, let alone who might have earnt the badge.

"Shall we head to Diagon Alley to get all our supplies now? School only goes back in a few days." Hermione noted.

They agreed to disapparate to Diagon Alley that afternoon to purchase their school supplies for the last time. Hermione couldn't believe it was all finally happening, and she was finally heading home.

* * *

 _Author's note: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay to anyone following, it's been hard motivating myself to write, but as soon as I sat down to do it, it flowed out really easily! If there's a nagging little voice in the back of your head telling you to review, you probably should ;)_


	4. Regret

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Regret**

 _Draco's POV._

Draco had been back at Platform 9 and ¾ for a whole three minutes and fuck, did he already regret his decision to come back to school. Blaise was nowhere to be seen, despite Draco showing up a mere ten minutes before the train was scheduled to leave, as to not have to hang around waiting in the company of actual other people.

Pansy Parkinson had already strutted past Draco, chatting with another Slytherin girl, but it had made him smirk how hard it appeared for her to not even make eye contact with him. He knew straight away that she was his for the taking if he ever changed his mind.

He stood away from the train, his back to the wall of the platform, with what he hoped was a disinterested look on his face. But he was really watching the other students and their families. He briefly thought of the past years when his mother and Lucius had seen him off at the platform. By the looks of it, some parents were reluctant to let their children go back to Hogwarts, and this made Draco rolls his eyes. _Sappy idiots._

He briefly wondered if his mother had actually been aware of what day it was and that he had decided to return to school, if she would have left her bedroom to see him off. Would she have fussed over him? Begged him not to return to the place they had nearly died only a few shy months ago?

He felt a small stab of guilt when he realized that she probably would have thought badly of him. There perhaps might have even been an argument, if she had of been lucid enough to form thoughts for one. Returning to the place Lucius was arrested, with the people who had created the events that led to his imprisonment – _traitor._

He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and saw Blaise grinning at him, his trunk in his other hand.

"Draco, you're about a minute away from missing the train. If you miss it, you can't fly a charmed muggle car there either, that's already been done."

Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise's comment about St. Potter and his dopey sidekick then smirked as he said, " _I_ can actually fly a broom Zabini, I wouldn't need enchanted muggle junk to get me somewhere."

Blaise laughed at Draco's comment then jerked his head towards the train, "let's go find a seat."

Draco followed Blaise onto the train, his trunk in hand, and broomstick tucked under his arm.

They walked down the aisle of the train together, looking for an empty compartment. Draco noted the look of terror he received from the younger students, and the look of disgust from the older ones. Blaise appeared to have noticed too and continued to chat to Draco, as if he was trying to distract him.

"Nice badge by the way. Is McGonagall having a laugh?"

"That's ten points from Slytherin for being a smartass. Actually no. Make it ten points from Gryffindor."

"You have got to be kidding me." Draco heard an angry voice, directed at him, from the compartment to his left. He looked in and saw Potter, Weasel, Weaselette and Granger. Weasley was bright red in the face, and Draco presumed it was him who had spoken.

"Some nerve you've got showing your face here, let alone wearing that badge on your robes" Weasley commented, his face redder than it was five seconds ago.

"I happened to have been given this badge Weasley, got a special letter and everything."

"Just forget it Ron. It will be taken off him within a week when McGonagall sees how much of a power-hungry jerk he is. Well, more so than usual," Granger said, however she hadn't even looked up from her book.

Draco couldn't see her face properly, but he could sense there was something different about her. Actually, now that he was analyzing the group, there was something different about all of them. From what he could see, Granger looked tired and … there was something else he couldn't quite pinpoint. He noticed she was sitting next to Weasley in the compartment, but there was a pile of books in between them. He also observed she already donned her Hogwarts robes, and a gold Head girl badge was pinned to them. _Fucking great._

"Yes Weasley. Wouldn't want to be given a detention before you've even stepped foot onto the school grounds." He smirked when Weasley kept quiet. Potter however, commented before Draco had the chance to usher Blaise away.

"I'm sure Ron could deal if he got a detention from you Malfoy. That's only being locked in an empty classroom for what? One, two hours tops. Wouldn't it just suck to be locked away for life though? Speaking of, how's your father Malfoy?"

Draco felt himself stiffen at this comment, but kept his face impassive. "Still better than yours I believe Potter."

He gave Blaise a small nudge, and they both kept walking down the train to find a seat. He was pissed off at Potter's comment about his father, not that he gave a shit about Lucius now, but a little part of him felt comforted. Although absolutely everything had changed in a matter of months, it was a relief to know that some things had stayed the same. And apparently, a dark wizard could try and fail to take over the world, but childhood grudges remained intact and as imperative as always.

* * *

The rest of the trip to Hogwarts passed quite uneventfully. Draco had ended up in a compartment with Blaise, Pansy, Theodore Nott and Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. It had appeared the six of them were amongst the few Slytherins who had returned. Draco hadn't ever spoken much to Astoria, who was two years below him, however he had struck up a conversation with her which lasted almost an hour before Pansy 'accidently' spilt the pumpkin juice she'd bought from the trolley all over her. Draco used his magic to clean up the spill as Astoria then gave him a sheepish look, before grabbing her sister's hand to leave to change into her robes.

The feast was also boring in Draco's opinion. McGonagall ranted on about coming together after the war, giving second chances and house unity before introducing Draco and Hermione as the new Heads. As expected, Draco saw most of the student body giving McGonagall the "has she gone mad" look when his name was announced. Pansy patted him proudly on the back, as he did his best not to shrug her off.

At the end of the feast, a tiny third year student whom Draco did not know the name of, timidly tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, e-e-excuse me Mr. Malfoy sir?"

"Yes?"

"P-professor McGonagall would like you to meet her in her office straight after the feast" he stammered, adding nervously, "if that's okay with you?" when Draco cocked an eyebrow at him.

 _Here we go._

Draco nodded at the third-year student before leaving the Slytherin table and heading towards Dumbledore's old office. He was standing at the gargoyle concealing the staircase when he realized he had no idea what the password was.

 _Fuck this._

He turned around the leave when he heard a stern voice say, "Going somewhere Mr. Malfoy?"

"Coming to look for you Professor." She almost smiled at his lie, before saying the password ('Fawkes"), and leading him into her office.

"Take a seat Mr. Malfoy, please." She looked so serious, Draco briefly wondered if she had changed her mind, and was now going to ask him to leave the school. He sat down anyway.

"So … I suppose you think I've gone mad?"

"Sorry Professor, but I think the whole school thinks you've gone mad."

"This was actually an instruction I received from Professor Dumbledore before his death-"

"-Well then, it all makes sense now-"

She cleared her throat before resuming what she was saying, " _Before_ _his death_. I was to give you responsibility if you showed any degree of change. Any _glimmer_ of seeking redemption. Professor Dumbledore appeared to believe that you were – are – a good person. He also believed that given the right circumstances, you could excel."

Draco laughed at this. Didn't Dumbledore remember this "good person" that had almost killed him in the Astronomy tower? The same person who became a Death Eater, and worked for Voldemort for almost a year. In that moment right there, he was more aware of the Dark Mark underneath the sleeve of his robes than he had ever been before. Although he knew the mark was now inactive, nothing more now than what muggles called a tattoo, he swore he could feel it burning him.

"Professor, I'm not sure what you think you see, but I'm sure as hell not seeking _redemption_ ," he made a face at the word. "Am I happy the Dark Lord is dead? Yes. Why? Because I'm selfish. I may be a lot of bad things Professor, but I _am_ smart. Smart enough to know that my life was going to be better-off and easier in a world Saint Potter helped save."

McGonagall's face softened, although he wasn't sure why, considering the turn the conversation had taken.

"If you knew this all along Draco, why did you join Voldemort's cause?"

"Because I am not a good person, Professor." _Because family was everything._

She appeared to consider this for the longest moment, before clearing her throat and looking him in the eye.

"Well Mr. Malfoy, in line with Professor Dumbledore's wishes, I will allow you to trial the Head boy position. However, I meant what I wrote in that letter. I will be keeping a close eye on you. Any reports from the Head girl that you are abusing your privilege and I will re-assign the role quick smart."

He was just about the argue – and he wasn't completely sure why he was pushing his luck, he just really wanted to understand what the fuck was going through McGonagall's head – when the Headmistress interrupted. "And speaking of, here is Ms. Granger. Congratulations."

Draco saw Granger smile at McGonagall, although he was sure the smile didn't reach her eyes, before she locked eyes with him and frowned. He tried to look as though the last 10 minutes with McGonagall had bored him, rather than confused the hell out of him.

"As I was just saying to Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, I will be keeping a close eye on the pair of you, to ensure you are creating a positive influence on the student body, and assisting with rebuilding the school to its former self."

"Pardon me if I'm out of line Professor, but how exactly do we expect someone who has had nothing but a negative influence on the school, to promote such things?" Granger shot him a dirty look before looking expectantly at the Headmistress. _Well how about that, applause for Granger_. He had never heard her question a teacher, let alone undermine a decision from one. He had noticed on the train she was different somehow – was this new kind of audacity it?

If it was anyone else questioning her authority, Draco assumed McGonagall would have been pissed off. But it was Gryffindor Princess Granger, so the Headmistress just smiled at her and nodded.

"In the interests of encouraging second chances this year Ms. Granger, I have decided to lead by example. You should try too." She continued before Granger could get a word in, "Now, your new dormitory. Let me take you there now."

She took them down to the second floor, to a corridor not far from the main staircase leading from the Great Hall on the first floor. She stopped in front of a large portrait of an Arctic wolf, pacing in the snow. The wolf regarded each of them calmly, as if waiting for something.

" _Canis lupus_ " McGonagall said clearly, and the portrait swung open. "That will be your password until you change it."

As they stepped through the portrait, Draco examined his surroundings. He grudgingly admitted his new dormitory was nice enough. The common room was a midnight blue, with couches, chairs and other furniture alternating colors of white, grey and various shades of lighter blue. It was almost as if the room was mirroring the snowy portrait that guarded it, although it had a warm feeling to it. Draco noted the fireplace to his left. To his immediate right, there was some bookcases, and a desk. In the far-right corner of the room, there was a small kitchen, boxed in by benches that had stools at them. _Lucky the stools are there, otherwise where would Granger and I eat breakfast together,_ Draco thought sarcastically.

He noted three doors in the furthest left-hand corner of the room. The one on the left had a small portrait of a lion on it, Draco assumed this was Granger's room. Straight opposite him, the middle door, was blank. The door to the right of this one, had a small portrait of a snake.

"Each of your rooms will also have a password, you can set these after I leave. The middle door between your rooms is the bathroom. I have left your bedrooms undecorated, there is a bed, dresser and desk, but you can decorate them as you please." She paused as she looked at them both, "any questions?"

Draco shook his head as Granger replied, "no professor".

"Good well, I shall leave you too it. A reminder that you have both come back to school this year for a purpose, and going to Azkaban for murder is not it. Please, do not kill each other."

And as the Headmistress turned to leave, Draco felt that it didn't bode well that all three of them hadn't laughed.

* * *

 _Author's note: Draco's getting his sass back! Please drop me a quick review!_


	5. New Beginnings

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - New Beginnings**

 _Hermione's POV._

Hermione had calculated the exact number of days she would have to share a dormitory with Draco Malfoy, _303 days if we both stay for Christmas holidays,_ she thought with a sigh, before resigning to the fact they probably wouldn't even make it a week without hexing each other.

Although he hadn't spoken to her since their meeting in McGonagall's office, the smirks and glares from the last half hour alone were enough to tell her the year ahead would be a challenging one.

She had been on the receiving end of many scowls over the years, so that didn't really bother her at all. What did bother her however, was the appraising look he had given her in McGonagall's office. One minute he had been glowering at her (it was comforting really), but the next minute he seemed to be looking through her, a contemplative look on his face. She had known it was childish, but she had wanted to tell him to go back to scowling at her.

The dormitory had been lovely, the fact she was sharing it with Malfoy wouldn't take away from that. She had made a beeline over to the bookcase, to find that it was filled with books that were on her very lengthy "to read" list. She felt, rather than saw, Malfoy roll his eyes at her, before hearing his bedroom door slam.

Hermione chose a book from the bookcase, _The Compendium of Modern Day Curses_ , before walking over to the armchair and curling up. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and murmured, "Incendio", before launching herself into the book.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt someone standing in front of her. She looked up to see Malfoy staring at her expectantly. She noticed he had changed out of his robes into black jeans and a dark grey t-shirt. She hid her surprise that he was wearing muggle clothes.

"Can I help you with something Malfoy?"

"I have a friend coming", was all he offered.

"Didn't know you had any left. Good for you." She gave him one last look of annoyance before looking back down at her book.

"Maybe I need to be clearer Granger. I have a friend coming, so you need to leave."

She quickly appreciated the irony of the book she was reading, before she took a deep breath in and spoke.

"This is a shared dormitory, which means I have a right to be here. Could you just not be a prat about this?"

 _Long shot Hermione._

Hermione shifted in her armchair as she waited for Malfoy to respond. He looked so calm that it surprised her when the next words out of his mouth were, "Granger, I won't ask you again. Leave, or I'll make you leave."

Hermione felt herself jumping up from the armchair before she knew what she was doing, placing the book on the table beside her. Hermione didn't really mind going to her room, giving him the shared space for the rest of the night, but she knew that he was trying to flex his authority, show her who was boss in their new dormitory, and she didn't want to give in. Not when she had worked so hard for her title, and he had been given his without earning it. That had been his whole life, she thought with anger, given everything he wanted, whenever he snapped his fingers.

She pulled her wand from her pocket and pointed it at his face at the exact same time he pointed his at her chest.

"You're not going to hex me Granger," Malfoy murmured in a low voice, "You've spent the last 6 years working for that badge pinned to your robes. You aren't prepared to throw it away after one day. Especially not for me." He was staring at her face, as if daring her to prove him wrong.

Hermione found herself shaking her head as she replied, "You're right. You're not worth it." She lowered her wand, before picking up her book and walking over to her bedroom door. She was halfway through the door when she turned around to see him staring at her, with an almost disappointed expression on his face.

"You should remember who saved your life last year. But you probably weren't worth that either." And she shut her door on him, not even noticing that his expression had twisted into something completely different.

* * *

She surprised herself how quickly she had given up the argument against Malfoy. Hermione wasn't quite sure why she had resigned from the confrontation so quickly, only that the anger she had felt in the minutes before walking out had disappeared suddenly.

She took a moment to look around her new room, before deciding to unpack some of her trunk before classes started the following day. She figured she wouldn't have much extra time once her study and assignments begun. She had unpacked her clothes and hung them in her wardrobe, organized her desk for her first lot of homework tomorrow when she came across the picture frames she put around her room every year. She hung the pictures of herself and the whole Weasley family, the picture of herself and Krum at the Yule ball, snaps of herself and the Gryffindor girls (Ginny had made her pose with them for what felt like a million photos) before she came across the picture of herself and her parents. She put it on her bedside table, adjacent from the picture of herself, Ron and Harry.

Her parents. Even though the war was finished, they were still in Australia, with no recollection of their only daughter. McGonagall had told Hermione over the summer that she thought it would be best to wait a few more months before restoring their memories and bringing them home. She had told Hermione that even though Voldemort was gone, the threat hadn't completely disappeared and it was better to be safe than sorry.

She had never spoken to the boys much about her parents, and how difficult it was for her to wipe herself clean from their minds. She didn't want to talk to Harry about it, knowing his parents didn't have a chance of one day coming back to him, and Ron just didn't understand because his whole family were magical - it would never be a decision he would have to make.

She decided over the summer that she would give McGonagall a month from the time she went back to Hogwarts before she started to push harder for something more to be done. If there was one thing Hermione had learnt over the last year, it was that the adults in her life were imperfect, and they made mistakes and wrong decisions as much as anyone else. She had always looked up to the professors, the Weasleys, members of the Order when she was younger, always trusted that they knew exactly what was best. But now, reflecting on Sirius, Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagall… Well Hermione knew that it wasn't always so wrong to question the choices being made by the grownups around her.

 _One month_ , Hermione told herself, as she changed out of her robes into her pajamas. She pulled back the duvet on the queen size bed that was now her own, and climbed into bed. She would give McGonagall one month to make right decision, before she started telling the adults that she was now an adult too.

* * *

Hermione woke up on Monday morning to the sound of her alarm, and immediately sat up. She listened for sounds of Malfoy moving about outside her bedroom door, but was only met with silence. She hadn't heard him last night after she retreated to her room, and had no idea if he had had company in their common room.

Deciding to try and get first dibs of their shared bathroom, she quickly collected her school uniform, a towel and some toiletries, and opened her bedroom door. She scanned the common room quickly, the fire she had lit the night before had extinguished itself, but there was no sign of Malfoy or that he had even used the shared space last night. She quickly moved over to the bathroom room and checked the handle – it was unlocked, so she let herself in. Closing the door behind her, and locking it – _colloportus_ – she finally felt at ease.

Hermione spent the next 20 minutes showering herself, and smoothing her hair into what she deemed was the glossiest she would get without spending another 20 minutes in front of the mirror.

With her bathroom activities complete, she walked back into her bedroom to collect her book bag, then set off through the portrait hole to head to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Even with a hundred thoughts running through her mind – _have I got quills? Yes. Parchment? Yes -_ on her unaccompanied walk from her dorm to the Great Hall, she never realized that she had forgotten all about her worry of crossing paths Malfoy in their dorm that morning.

* * *

Breakfast was a noisy affair. Hermione sat down with Harry, Ron and Ginny, who were sitting with Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Seamus Finnigan. Hermione had been unsure how the students would all interact with each other at first, especially when the last time they were all in the Great Hall together the room had been filled with grieving and sorrow, but everyone appeared to be trying to be positive and keep spirits up.

"How's the new dormitory Hermione? Congratulations by the way", Seamus acknowledged with his mouth full of scrambled eggs. She smiled at him whilst dishing some eggs onto her own plate before replying, "It's very nice actually, I'll have to have you all visit soon."

"How's the ferret?" Hermione looked over at Ron who appeared to have been bursting to ask the question since she sat down.

Hermione shrugged as she swallowed a mouthful of her breakfast. "He's fine, I didn't see him this morning. Hopefully we can just keep out of each other's way."

Ron visibly relaxed, and looked appeased by her answer, which confused her. Her thought was suddenly interrupted by McGonagall's voice addressing the students, "Good morning, welcome to your first day of classes. Your schedules are making their way around the room as we speak. If there are any issues with your timetable, please refer to your head of House.

Hermione eagerly took her timetable off the Gryffindor prefect who was handing them out and looked at her classes for the year.

 _Transfiguration_

 _Charms_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts_

 _Potions_

 _Study of Ancient Runes_

 _Herbology_

 _Arithmacy_

She smiled at the list of her subjects, and peeked over Harry's shoulder to see what classes he had for the year.

"I suppose you got all the subjects you wanted this year Harry? Considering how well you went on your OW-"

She was cut off by a loud alarm sound that made everyone in the Great Hall immediately cover their ears. Hermione quickly scanned the room, only to see students with looks of panic mirroring her own. Harry, Hermione noticed, was already on his feet, with his wand out, searching franticly around the room. _We haven't even been told what the alarm means,_ Hermione thought, _McGonagall could have told the Head Girl..._

"SILENCE", McGonagall was now standing at the front of the Great Hall, wand to her throat as she used the sonorous charm. "The alarm is newly installed for this school year. It was installed for our safety; however, I am quite sure it is a false alarm. Everyone is to sit down at their house tables and wait until I have confirmed it is indeed, a false alarm."

Hermione sat down at their table with the rest of the student body, she noticed that most of the students were now looking relieved. Some of them, she observed, looked happy – probably because the first class of the day was likely going to be cancelled.

"I will require the Head boy and girl, and house prefects to join me over here, along with the staff. Nobody-" she looked at Harry and Ron as she said this, "-is to move from this room."

Hermione stood and hurried to the front of the room to join the Professors. They waited silently for all the prefects and staff to be present before McGonagall spoke. Hermione noted that Malfoy hadn't joined them at the front of the room, and his blonde hair wasn't visible on the Slytherin table either. He wasn't here.

McGonagall looked around at the group now congregated around her, with a serious look on her face. "Now, I don't want anyone to panic, but we had that alarm installed for one reason, and one reason only. Please remain calm, but there is an intruder in the school."

* * *

 _Authors Note: I am terribly sorry for the delay in uploads! I've had a hard time motivating myself to write over the past 2 months but I'm back and keen to get back on the wagon. Thank you in advance for your views and reviews. And sorry to leave you with a cliffy..._


	6. Intruder

Disclaimer: ** Please note: This is a story using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which is owned by J.K Rowling. I do not claim ownership over the characters or anything remotely Harry Potter. I am just writing a plot for fun - and because Draco is hot af.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Intruder**

 _Draco's POV._

 _That fucking little mudblood._

Draco stood in his common room, staring at the door Granger had just shut calmly in his face. The feeling of disappointment lingered in his chest, and he felt like throwing something at the portrait of the lion on her door. Had he lost the ability to rile her up? What happened to the Granger that once punched him in the face for poking fun at the giant oaf they called the Gamekeeper. Where was the Granger who got basically got fired up every time he even looked in the direction of Saint Potter and the Weasel? He had noted she looked different on the train to school, but had she changed somewhere else along the line?

He didn't even have company coming – he had lied to see what kind of authority he could flex over her, and he suspected she knew this. He doubted he could pull this move again in a hurry, and he felt angry that he had wasted an opportunity to make her leave with little confrontation.

Draco then noticed that _he_ was pissed off by this _and_ the fact he was irritated by their interaction, and the Mudblood hadn't been, which pissed him off even more.

"Fuck", he muttered out loud through clenched teeth. He was frustrated, and he needed a release. He knew Pansy would be still awake, and from the way she had behaved on the Hogwart's Express, he was probably forgiven if he acted as though he was sorry.

Draco walked over to his room, deciding to set his password while he was alone in the common room. He pointed his wand at the portrait of the snake and murmured, "Dobby" to set the password. He went to take a step into his room, planning to send an owl to Pansy inviting her over, when his owl flew through the window and landed on his bed. He walked over, closing the door behind him, and untied the note that was attached to the owl's leg.

 _Sick of hearing Parkinson whine about you – will be over in 5._

\- _B_

Draco momentarily forgot about his frustrations and chuckled at the thought of Blaise's irritation with Pansy. He looked around his empty room and appreciated the fact that he wasn't stuck in a dorm with her, or any of the other Slytherins. Perhaps he had been to hasty in deciding to invite Pansy over. Once he did, she would be like a Cornish Pixie – extremely difficult to get rid of.

He wandered back into the common room, ready to open the main door for Blaise when he arrived. He had just set another log on the fire, which he assumed Granger had lit, when a soft knock came from the dormitory door. He cast a muffliato charm on Granger's door to prevent her from eavesdropping then went and opened the door for Blaise.

"Couldn't last a night without my company Zabini?" Draco drawled when he opened the door. Blaise threw him a dirty look before preceding through the doorway into the room.

"It's completely your fault I'm here, if you weren't such a dick to Parkinson then she wouldn't be whining about you to the whole Slytherin common room." He looked thoughtful for a second then added, "Actually she probably would. Loves the drama, that girl." He rolled his eyes at Draco before setting himself down in the armchair Granger had been sitting in previously. Draco sat down on the couch adjacent from him.

"Nice place. I still can't believe this isn't a joke."

"Be nicer if I didn't have to share it with a filthy Mudblood," Draco grumbled.

"Mm," he looked slightly uncomfortable at Draco's words, and looked down in his lap as he asked, "Speaking of, where's Granger?"

Draco smirked before answering, "The filthy bitch got put in her place and sent to her room."

Blaise's head snapped up and Draco saw the intense disappointment in his eyes. He didn't break eye contact when asking, "I thought we were past all that?"

"Past all what?"

"Pretending we know better than everyone else. Pretending we _are_ better than everyone else."

"Since when do you care about Granger's feelings? Merlin Zabini, go hug a Hufflepuff".

Before Draco knew it, Blaise was on his feet, pacing back and forth in front of the fire and Draco. He shot Draco a look of disgust before speaking.

"Fucking hell Malfoy. People died. Our families and our friends and our professors - people died. People that we knew and had classes with. Students were killed and we ate breakfast with them every day until they died, and we never spoke to them because we thought they were beneath us." He stopped pacing and turned to face Draco, his voice heavy and thick, "Everyone was fighting for what they believed in, both light and dark. I get that, okay? But we were wrong. We were wrong to think we were above anyone else. People went to war against the Dark Lord to make sure that everyone, including _Muggleborns_ , including _us,_ had freedom. We are all just people now." He looked like he was hesitating before he spoke again, but took a deep breath before he went on, "You owe it to yourself, and everyone who fought and died in that war to be better – to be better than you've been in the past, and to be better than Lucius".

Draco was gob smacked for a second, digesting his best friend's words, before he saw red. He was up on his feet, yelling at Blaise before he realized what he was doing.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING MENTION MY FATHER, YOU MUDBLOOD LOVING TRAITOR. HOW DARE YOU LECTURE ME?!" Draco took a deep breath before he continued, his features morphing into his darkest scowl and a warning in his most threatening voice, "Get the hell out of my dormitory before I fucking hex you."

"Draco, come on man, you're overreact-"

"Get the fuck out now," his voice venomous.

Blaise looked like he was going to say something else, but he just shrugged at Draco, and turned to let himself out the door.

Draco was fuming mad. How dare he mention his father. Since when was Blaise on the side of Harry Potter and Dumbledore? He knew that Blaise had never really been sold on the blood purity ideals that Draco had grown up with, but Blaise was still a Slytherin after all. He was meant to be proud of his heritage, and his status, and that meant acting as though they were superior to everyone else.

Draco acknowledged in his head that the outcome of the war had been extremely convenient to him, as he had told McGonagall earlier than night in her office - he was smart enough to know that a world run by the Dark Lord wasn't really ideal for anyone except the Dark Lord himself, Bellatrix and the other few deranged Death Eaters that truly thrived off pain and suffering. But Blaise was surely taking it too far suggesting everyone was now equal?

Still fuming, Draco let himself into his room, stripped off his robes and got into bed. He found himself tossing and turning in bed, unable to get to sleep. He realized whilst lying there that he perhaps wasn't really _angry_ at Blaise – he felt betrayed. Betrayed because Blaise could fit in with Slytherins _and_ the other houses because of his neutrality in the war. Betrayed because Blaise still knew exactly where he stood and how he felt about things. Betrayed because Blaise really understood what Draco had been battling with all summer – maybe they really had been just _acting_ superior all along.

* * *

Draco hadn't slept well as a result of his argument with Blaise the previous night, and was therefore showering when he was really supposed to be down at breakfast. Despite the fact he was hungry, and he knew he was missing out on receiving his timetable, Draco was finding it difficult to care that he was running late.

He stepped out of the shower, quickly drying his body with emerald green towel, before dressing himself in his uniform. He gave his hair a quick towel dry before running his fingers through it and pushing it back. He was midway through brushing his teeth when a loud alarm began to sound.

 _What in Merlin's name?_

He quickly rinsed his mouth and patted it dry before 'accio-ing' his shoes from his room and slipping them on.

He walked swiftly down towards the Great Hall, wand in his hand, a sudden awareness of his surroundings that reminded him of the last time he was at Hogwarts.

McGonagall hadn't explained to him what the alarm was for had she? He wondered if his confusion in regards to their conversation last night had meant he had missed that part of the orientation.

He was at the foot of the stairs when he saw a small group of students and professors leaving the Great Hall. He spotted Granger at the same time she appeared to spot him, and automatically set off towards her.

"What the hell is going Granger?"

She grabbed his sleeve to drag him toward the Slytherin dungeons, quickly letting go as soon as she realized he intended to follow her. He noticed the other staff and students were pairing up and wandering off in different directions, wands drawn.

"Where were you? Breakfast started almost 35 minutes ago," she scolded him, before apparently realizing his tardiness was the least of their problems. She had the grace to look bashful when he raised an eyebrow at her. "McGonagall thinks there is intruders in the castle, the alarm was installed to identify them. Everyone has split into pairs to see if we can find and apprehend them." They continued to head down the corridor toward the dungeons, Draco taking Hermione's lead of checking empty classrooms and closets along the way.

"Wow, getting students to do Auror work, guess I can skip DADA this afternoon," Draco replied sarcastically.

"We don't have DADA until tomorrow afternoon. You'd have known that if you were at breakfast."

"Geez, relax Granger. Who are you? My mother?"

She looked over at him and he could see he had struck a nerve. Maybe because she was constantly having to mother Potter and the Weasel.

"No, and thank god for that." The distaste in her voice immediately made Draco angry.

"What is that supposed to mean you filthy Mudblood?" He had stopped in front of a statue of Salazar Slytherin, grabbing her by her arm to stop her as well. Draco also found himself holding his wand to her neck, her body pulled up against him.

Her gave her credit though, she didn't look scared. Instead, she looked at him defiantly and asked, "What are you going to do Malfoy? Believe me, there is nothing you could do to me right now that's worse than what was done to me during the war."

He faltered at this before letting her go with a huff and turning away from her to go open another classroom door.

It all happened quickly. He saw someone down the corridor out of the corner of his eye.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He heard someone scream the killing curse microseconds before he felt something from his right-hand side shove him to the ground. His body slammed into the cold marble floor the same time he heard an explosion behind him. He heard a scream of "stupefy" in his ear, but the spell wasn't directed at him.

He suddenly was thrown into a state of unconsciousness, something heavy striking his head. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out when he came to again. Draco could feel himself fading in and out of consciousness. He was vaguely aware of something warm covering his torso. He could feel pain everywhere as more heavy objects showered down onto him. He could smell burnt hair. He knew he had to get up but his head felt heavy and warm. And why did his head feel wet?

He could hear something happening behind him, and down the corridor all at the same time, briefly wondering what exactly was going on, but the fogginess in his brain was taking over. He tried to talk, he wanted to help, but it was no use. Everything dissolved into blackness.

* * *

 _Author's note: I know I've taken a hugeeeeee break. My apologies. I lost motivation, but I had a massive urge to write today and I've smashed out the chapter I've been wanting to write for so long now. I hope there's someone left who wants to read it :)_


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